Journal of Non-Oxide Glasses Vol. 3 No 2, April-June, 2011, p. 51 - 60

EFFECT OF Sn ADDITION ON PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF Se-Te GLASSY SEMICONDUCTORS

RAJNEESH KUMARa, P. SHARMAb, PANKAJ SHARMAc*, V. S. RANGRAa aDepartment of Physics, H. P. University, Summer Hill, Shimla (171005) India bDepartment of Physics, Sri Sai University, Palampur (176061) H.P. India cDepartment of Physics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknghat, Solan, H.P. 173215 India The effect of tin (Sn) addition on physical properties i.e. coordination number, lone pair of electrons, no of constraints, bond energy, heat of atomization, glass transition temperature, mean bond energy, cohesive energy, density, molar volume, electro-negativity and optical band gap of Se92Te8-xSnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy alloy is investigated. It is inferred that on increasing Sn content, average coordination number, average number of constraints, average heat of atomization, density, optical band gap, mean bond energy and glass transition temperature increases but lone pair of electrons, molar volume and deviation of stoichiometry (R) decreases. (Received April 5, 2011; accepted April 14, 2014) Keywords: Chalcogenide glasses, Molar volume, Density, Cohesive energy, Glass transition temperature.

1. Introduction Chalcogenide glasses are one of the most promising materials in the modern era because

of their vivid technological applications [1] and commercial importance [2]. Chalcogenide glasses are composed of chalcogen elements of group VI elements of periodic table. Recently, there has been an increased interest in the properties of amorphous selenium (a-Se) rich semiconducting alloys due to their current uses as photoconductors in high definition TV pick-up tubes and particularly in digital X-ray imaging. Amorphous selenium binary alloys with tellurium, due to their electrophotographic applications such as photoreceptors in photocopying and laser printing, have been widely studied in both vacuum deposited amorphous film and vitreous bulk form. They are largely used in memory devices and fiber optics [3,4] as they exhibit threshold and memory switching behaviour as well as infrared transmission [5,6]. The glassy alloys of the Se-Te system based on Se are widely used for various applications in many fields as optical recording media because of their excellent laser writer sensitivity, xerography, and electrographic applications such as photoreceptors in photocopying and laser printing [7-9]. The effect of an impurity in an amorphous semiconductor may be widely different, depending upon conduction mechanism and the structure of the material [10]. While in crystalline semiconductors, the effect of a suitable impurity is always to provide a new donor or acceptor state, this is not essential in amorphous semiconductor. Instead of providing a localized impurity level in the mobility gap, an impurity may merely alter the mobility of the charge carriers or may introduce structural changes [11] in the amorphous materials with or without modification of the localized states in the forbidden gap.

Present work is based on bi-chalcogen (Se-Te) glassy system containing tin as the third substitute. Se-Te-Sn show narrow glass forming region but having advantage of higher transmittance in IR region due to reduced optical band gap and low optical losses [12]. Compositional trends in various properties have been investigated. Addition of third element tin (Sn) creates the compositional and configurational disorder in the system. Addition of Sn in Se-Te

*Corresponding author: pankaj.sharma@juit.ac.in

52

system may change its optical and electrical properties significantly [13]. The physical parameters viz. coordination number, lone pair electrons, bond energy of different bonds, average single bond energy, mean bond energy, glass transition temperature, cohesive energy, density, molar volume and optical band gap have been investigated.

2. Experimental details Glassy alloys of Se92Te8-xSnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) system were prepared by melt quench

technique. Materials (99.999% purity, Sigma Aldrich) were weighed (4g for each batch using Mettler Toledo PL83-S) according to their atomic weight percentage and sealed in evacuated (at ~10 –5 Pa) quartz ampoules and heated to 900oC in rocking furnace at a heating rate of 3-40C/min. The ampoules were frequently rocked at the highest temperature for 8 hrs. During the course of heating, the ampoules were shaken several times to maintain the uniformity of the melt. Finally, the ampoules were quenched into ice-cold water to avoid crystallization. After breaking the quartz ampoules, amorphous nature of these alloys were verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique (Philips PW 1710 X-ray diffractometer, Cu-Kα radiation, λ = 1.540598 Å, 40 kV and 35 mA, θ2 range from 50 to 1000, step size = 0.0170). The XRD spectra do not contain any prominent peak which confirms the amorphous nature of samples. Figure 1 shows the X-ray diffraction pattern for the investigated samples.

0 20 40 60 80 100

In

tens

ity (a

rb. u

nits

)

2θ (degree)

x=0

x=1

x=2

x=3

x=4

x=5

Fig. 1. X-ray diffraction pattern for Se92Te8-xSnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy system.

53

3. Results and discussion 3.1. Calculation of coordination number (r) and number of constraints in glassy network Glasses with varying composition have a varying coordination number. Hence it is useful

to calculate average coordination number <r>. Average coordination number <r> is calculated by using the standard method [14, 15]. For the composition Se92Te8-xSnx(x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), average coordination number <r> is given by:

γβα

γβ++

++ SnTe NNα=⟩⟨ SeN

r (1)

where α, β, γ are concentrations (at %) of Se, Te, Sn respectively and NSe = 2, NTe = 2, NSn = 4 are their respective coordination number. The calculated coordination numbers (r) lie in the range 2.00 ≤ r ≤ 2.10 and are given in Table 1. From the calculated values of coordination numbers for the glassy system under investigation, it is inferred that <r> increases with increase of Sn content. This reveals the compactness of alloy.

Table 1. Values of average coordination number, number of constraints arising from bond stretching (Na), number of constraints arising from bond bending (Nb), average number of

constraints (Nc) for Se92Te8-xSnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy system.

Composition <r> Na Nb Nc Se92 Te8 2.00 1.00 1.00 2.00

Se92 Te7 Sn1 2.02 1.01 1.04 2.05

Se92 Te6 Sn2 2.04 1.02 1.08 2.10

Se92 Te5 Sn3 2.06 1.03 1.12 2.15

Sn92 Te4 Sn4 2.08 1.04 1.16 2.20

Sn92 Te3 Sn5 2.10 1.05 1.20 2.25

The mechanical constraints (Nc) i.e. bond stretching (Na) and bond bending (Nb) have a great influence on covalent bonded glassy networks, which are associated with atomic bonding and effective coordination number < r >. The number of constraints per atom arising from bond bending can be calculated by Nb = 2<r> − 3 and from bond stretching by Na = <r>/2 for the atomic species having coordination number (r). For different compositions of the Se92Te8-xSnx(x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy system, the effective coordination number < r > can be determined by calculating the average number of constraints i.e. Nc = Na + Nb ,

( )352

+>= cNr< (2)

The calculated values of Na, Nb, Nc and < r > for the glassy system Se92Te8-xSnx(x = 0, 1,

2, 3, 4, 5) are listed in Table 1. In Se92Te8-xSnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) compositions, the average coordination number varies from 2.00 to 2.10.

54

2.10

3.2 Role of lone pair electrons and glass forming ability The numbers of lone pair of electrons are calculated by using the relation:

L = V − <r> (3)

where L is the lone pair electrons, V is the valence electrons and <r> is the average coordination number. For the glassy system Se92Te8-xSnx(x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) the number of lone pair of electrons are obtained by using equation-[3] and are listed in Table 2. It is observed that on increasing the Sn content number of lone pairs of electrons goes on decreasing. This may be due to the interaction between Sn ion and lone pair electrons of bridging Se atom [16]. Zhenhua [17] proposed a simple creation for a binary and ternary system. According to him, for a binary number system the number of lone pair electrons must be greater than 2.6 and for a ternary system it must be greater than 1 . In our system under investigation, the values of lone pair of electrons found to be greater than 1. So this explain the fact that the system can be obtained in glassy state. Fouad et al [18] reported that increasing the number of lone pair electrons decrease the strain energy and a structure with a large lone pair of electrons favors glass formation. A system with large number of lone pair of electrons constitutes stable state. Chalcogenide glasses with lone pair electrons are characterized by flexibility [19]. This flexibility of bonds causes these atoms to readily form amorphous network either alone or with a variety of other atomic constituents. In this composition, with the addition of Sn, the number of lone pair electron shows decreasing nature due to interaction between Sn ions and lone pair of electrons of bridging Se atoms. This explains the fact that the system may be in amorphous glassy state. The variation of <r> and L for Se92Te8-xSnx(x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy system is shown in Fig. 2.

2.00 2.02 2.04 2.06 2.08

3.80

3.85

3.90

3.95

4.00

L

< r >

Fig. 2. Variation of lone-pair of electrons (L) with average coordination number <r> for the glassy alloys Se92Te8-x Snx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

55

Table 2. Values of average coordination number <r>, number of lone pair electrons for Se92Te8-xSnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy system.

Composition <r> V L = V - <r>

Se92 Te8 2.00 6 4

Se92 Te7 Sn1 2.02 5.98 3.96

Se92 Te6 Sn2 2.04 5.96 3.92

Se92 Te5 Sn3 2.06 5.94 3.88

Se92 Te4 Sn4 2.08 5.92 3.84

Se92 Te3 Sn5 2.10 5.90 3.80

3.3 Density and molar volume Densities of samples were measured by Archimedean method, using distilled water as a

reference liquid. It is given by the formula:

waterwww

ρ⎥⎦

⎤⎢⎣

⎡− 21

1ρ = (4)

where w1 and w2 are the weights of samples in air and in the reference liquid respectively while ρwater = 1g/cm3 at 200C. From Table 3 it is clear that density of glass increases with Sn content. This can be explained on the basis of bond formation probability and bond energy. Since Sn-Se has large bond formation probability (calculated but not shown here) and large bond energy in comparison to other bond present in the system which results increase in number of bonds per unit volume and increase in average cross linking density with Sn addition. Molar volume Vm was determined from density

iim mx∑=ρ1V (5)

Where mi is molecular weight of ith sample and xi is the atomic percentage of same element. From Table 3, decrease in molar volume indicates the potential substitution of Sn for Te leads to a densification of structure system.

56

Table 3. Values of density ρ, molar mass Mi, molar volume Vm for Se92Te8-xSnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy system.

Composition ρ(g/cm3) Mi (g mole-1) Vm(cm3

mole-1) Se92 Te8 4.962 82.85 16.69

Se92 Te7 Sn1 4.972 82.76 16.64

Se92 Te6 Sn2 4.982 82.76 16.59

Se92 Te5 Sn3 4.987 82.58 16.55

Se92 Te4 Sn4 4.992 82.49 16.52

Se92 Te3 Sn5 5.00 82.40 16.48

3.4 Average heat of atomization According to Pauling [20] the heat of atomization HS (A-B) at standard temperature and

pressure of binary semiconductor formed from atoms A and B is a sum of heats of formation ∆H and average of the heats of atomization HS

A and HSB that correspond to the average non polar

bond energies of the two atoms [21].

(( ) )BS

AS HH

21

++S HBAH Δ=− (6)

The first term in above equation is proportional to the square of difference between the electronegativity, Aχ Bχ and of two atoms, i.e.

( )2BAH χχ −∝Δ (7)

SHwhile for ternary and higher order semiconductor materials, average heat of atomization (in kcal per gram-atom) is defined for a compound. Aα Bβ Cγ is considered a direct measure of cohesive energy and thus average bond strength, as

γ+β+αγ+β+ C

SBS

AS HHα

=SH

H (8)

For ternary glass system, above equation is applicable. The value of obtained by using the value of HS for Se, Te and Sn (227 kJ/mole, 197 KJ/mole, 302 KJ/mole) are listed in Table 4. From Table 4 it is clear that with the increase in content of Sn heat of atomization (HS) also

increases. Average single bond energy which is measure of cohesive energy decrease with increase of Sn content may cause increase of optical band gap.

3.5 Calculation of mean bond energy and glass transition temperature The bond energies of heteronuclear bonds have been calculated by using the relation given

by Pauling [22] i.e.

57

( )230)( BABBAABA DDD χχ −+×= −−−5.0 (9)

where D(A-B) is bond energy of heteronuclear bond , D(A-A) and D(B-B) are the bond energies of homonuclear bonds. The D(A-A) values for Se, Te and Sn are 44 Kcal mol-1, 33 Kcal mol-1

and 34.2 Kcal mol-1 respectively [23] . χA and χB are the electronegativity values of atoms A and B respectively. For Se, Te and Sn the values of electronegativities are 2.55, 2.1 and 1.96 respectively. The calculated of bond energy for different bonds are given in Table 4.

Table 4. Values of average heat of atomization , average single bond energy ,

mean bond energy and glass transition temperature Tg (K) for Se92Te8-xSnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy system.

Composition

(eV/bond) (eV/bond)

Bonds Bond Energy(eV/bond)

<E> (eV)

Tg(K)

Se92 Te8 2.330 1.165 Se-Se 1.908 1.906 313.71 Se92 Te7 Sn1 2.341 1.158 Te-Te 1.431 1.912 315.18 Se92 Te6 Sn2 2.351 1.152 Sn-Sn 1.483 1.917 316.81 Se92 Te5 Sn3 2.363 1.147 Se-Te 1.915 1.924 318.67 Se92 Te4 Sn4 2.374 1.141 Se-Sn 2.135 1.930 320.54 Se92 Te3 Sn5 2.385 1.135 Te-Sn 1.482 1.938 322.98

The possible bond distribution at various compositions is expressed using chemically ordered network model (CONM) by Ovshinsky et al [24]. This model assumes that: a) Atoms combine more favorably with atoms of different kind than with the same. b) Bonds are formed in the sequence of decreasing bond energy until all available valences of atoms are saturated. According to Zachariason [25] heteropolar bonds have supremacy over the formation of homopolar bonds. The glass transition temperature is the most important parameters for characterization of glassy state. Glass transition temperature can be theoretically calculated using different method [26]. The covalent bond approach (CBO) of Tichy and Ticha [27,28] may be considered as first approximation in case of glasses. The glass transition temperature is considered to be proportional to mean bond energy <E>, which depends upon the factors like coordination number, bond energy and nature of bonds. The correlation between Tg and <E> in the form of

[ ]9.0E311Tg −=

rmC EEE

(10) where <E>is the mean bond energy of the system.

+>=< (11)

where Ec is the overall contribution towards bond energy arising from strong bonds and Erm is the contribution arises from weaker bonds that remain after the number of strong bonds become maximum. For SeXTeYSnZ system (where X+Y+Z =1) In selenium rich region,

(12) Here Pr is the degree of cross linking and is given by

58

ZYXZNYN SnTe

+++

Pr = In equation (12) Dhb is the average heteropolar bond energy and is given by

SnTe

SnSeSnTe

ZNXNEZN

+SeTe

hbEXN

D+

= − −

>

(13)

Erm is the average bond energy per atom of the remaining matrix and is given by

< > − <= − rEPrE TeSerrm /]5.0[2

1.940

(14)

The calculated value of mean bond energy is given in Table 4. As Sn increases, mean bond energy increases and hence glass transition temperature also increases. The increase in Tg on substitution of Sn may be due to the stronger Se-Sn bonds (bond energy = 49.41kcal/mole). Sn makes stronger bonds with Se while it make weaker bonds with Te (Te-Sn bond energy = 34.16 kcal /mole). It is found that glass transition temperature increases with increase of Sn content indicating a cross linking of the Se-Te chains with Sn. So mean bond energy and hence glass transition temperature increases. Variation of glass transition temperature with mean bond energies of glassy samples is shown in Fig. 3.

1.905 1.910 1.915 1.920 1.925 1.930 1.935312

314

316

318

320

322

324

T g (K)

< Ε > (eV)

Fig. 3. Variation of glass transition temperature (Tg) with mean bond energy <E> for the glassy alloys Se92Te8-x Snx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

3.6 Theoretical band gap, cohesive energy, deviation of stoichiometry and electronegativity Theoretically band gap (Eg) for binary system can be calculated by the relation given by

Shimakawa [29]

59

where V is the volume fraction of element A and (1-V) is the volume fraction of element B. Eg(A) and Eg(B) are energy gaps of elements A and B respectively. Same relation can be applied to ternary system. With the addition of Sn in Se-Te alloy, band gap increases. This can be correlated with increases in average heat of atomization [30] as well as decrease in electronagativity[31]. There is linear relationship between the Hs and Eg given by Aigrain and Balkanski[32], so band gap increases with the addition of Sn. Cohesive energy of samples has been calculated by chemical bond approach [24].

(16)

where Ci represent the number of expected chemical bonds and Di is the energy of each bond respectively. The calculated values of cohesive energies of different glassy samples along with excess Se-Se bonds are given in the Table 5. It increases with addition of Sn content, which means average stabilization energy increases. Increase in CE, causing a gap between bonding and antibonding orbitals. Electronagativities of samples are calculated by Sanderson’s principle [33]. In the present paper we observe that optical energy gap increases with decrease in electronagativity. Deviation of stoichiometry (R) is the ratio of covalent bonding possibilities of chalcogen atoms. It is calculated by the relation given by:

Sn

TeSe

ZNYNXN

R+

= (17)

X, Y, Z are the atomic fractions of Se, Te and Sn respectively. For R>1, system is chalcogen rich and R<1, system is chalcogen poor and R=1 is threshold value where heteropolar bonds exists. From Table 5 it is clear that R>1 for all samples and hence system under investigation is chalcogen-rich region.

Table 5. The value of CE (in K cal/mole), optical band gap (eV), Electronegativity and R of Se92Te8-xSnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy system.

Composition Excess

Se-Se

bonds

CE

(kcal/mole)

Eg

(eV)

Electronegtivity R

Se92 Te8 168 44.01 1.791 2.514 ∞

Se92 Te7 Sn1 166 44.12 1.792 2.512 49.5

Se92 Te6 Sn2 164 44.20 1.793 2.511 24.5

Se92 Te5 Sn3 162 44.33 1.793 2.509 16.16

Se92 Te4 Sn4 160 44.42 1.794 2.508 12

Se92 Te3 Sn5 158 44.55 1.795 2.507 9.5

4. Conclusion It is seen that average coordination number, number of constraints, theoretical band gap,

average heat of atomization, density, cohesive energy, mean bond energy and glass transition temperature increases with increase in Sn content or decreasing Te content in Se92Te8-xSnx(x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) glassy system. This behaviour is due to reduction of Te-Te bonds and increase in

60

average binding strength, while the number of lone pair electrons, molar volume and electronegativity decreases with addition of Sn in Se-Te glass.

References

[1] K. Tanaka, Phys. Rev. B 39, 1270 (1989). [2] A.B. Seddon, J.Non-Cryst.Solid.44, 184 (1995). [3] J.H. Dessaur, H. E. Clarke, xerography and related processed, Local London (1965). [4] D.E. Carlson, C.R Wronski, App. Phys. Lett. 28, 671 (1976). [5] A.H. Moharram, Thin Solid Films 392, 1 (2001). [6] R.K. Shukla, S. Swarup, A. Kumar and A.N. Nigam, Phys. Status Solidi 115, 105 (2006). [7] L. Le Neindre, F. Smektala, K. Le Foulgoc, X.H. Zhang, J. Lukas, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 242, 99 (1998). [8] T. Akiyama, M. Uno, H. Kituara, K. Narumi, K. Nishiuchi, N. Yamada, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 40, 1598 (2001). [9] T. Ohta, J. Optoelectron. Adv. Mater. 3, 609 (2001). [10] N. F. Mott, Philos. Mag. 19, 835 (1969). [11] V.A. Twaddell, W. C. Lacourse, J. D. Mackenzie, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 8-10, 831 (1972). [12] S.R. Elliot, Physics of amorphous materials, 2nd edn. (Longman, London) (1991). [13] R. Chander, R. Thangaraj, Chalcogenide Letter 5, 229 (2008). [14] J.C. Phillips, J.Non-Cryst.Solids.34, 153 (1979). [15] R. Ganesan, A. Srinivasan, K. N. Madhusoodanan, K. S. Sangunni, E. S. R. Gopal, Phys Status (b) 190, 23 (2006). [16] A. Sharma, P.B. Barman, J.Therm.Anal.Cal.96, 413 (2009). [17] L. Zhenhua, J.Non-Cryst.Solids 127, 298 (1991). [18] S. S. Fouad, S. A. Fayek, M. H. Ali, Vacuum 49, 25 (1998). [19] Mainkaa, P. Sharma, N. Thakur Phil. Mag. 89, 3027 (2009). [20] L. Pauling, J.Non.Crys.Solids 127, 298 (1954). [21] M. Fadel, N. A. Hegale, A. Omarand, M. A. Afifi, Indian J. of Pure and Appl. Phys. 30, 740 (1992). [22] L. Pauling, The nature of Chemical Bond, Cornell University Press, New York (1960). [23] By Robert Joseph Paton Williams, J. J. R. Fraústo da Silva J. Chem. Educ. 75, 1559 (1998). [24] J. Bicerano, S. R .Ovshinsky, J.Non-Cryst.Solids 74, 75 (1985). [25] W.H. Zachariasen, J. Am.Chem.Soc. 54, 3841 (1932). [26] S. A. Fayek, M. R. Balboul and K. H. Marzouk, Thin Solid Films 515, 7281 (2007). [27] L. Tichy and H. Ticha, J. Non-Cryst.Solid.189, 141 (1995). [28] H. Ticha, L. Tichy, N. Rysava and A. Triska, J. Non-Cryst. Solid. 354, 3260 (2008). [29] K. Shimakawa, J. Non-Cryst.Solid. 43 229 (1981). [30] A.H. Ammar, A.M. Farid, S.S. Fouad Physica B 307, 64 (2001). [31] V. Pandey, S. K. Tripathi, A. Kumar, J. Optoelectron. Adv. Mater. 8(2), 796 (2006). [32] C. Benoit, P. Aigrain and M. Balkanski, “Selected Constants Relative to Semiconductors”. (Pargamon Press, New York, 1961). [33] R. T. Sanderson, Inorganic Chemistry, Third Edition, London New York (1991).